Appear Weak When You Are Strong

"Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak. "
-- Sun Tzu

In our own domestic commentary, we waste little time in ascribing the former to our own president for the various ways in which he seems to embody such. For Iran, the latter applies, just as it always has.

With no shortage of bluster, Iran's military wasted neither time nor opportunity to puff out its hollow chest and proclaim its military superiority. It can shoot down anything that flies. Or so it goes.

Let's just get right down to brass tacks.

Here's the problem: Their vaunted air defense picture show hinges around an old vintage 1970's medium altitude HAWK (Homing All the Way Killer) missile system. It can only fire at one aircraft at a time. It's a Phase I system, with no TAS (video tracking system) to allow it to follow a target without a massive radiation signature. There are no cameras on the radar that guides the missiles once fired (the radar that looks like a pair of Mickey Mouse ears.) Which, of course, means that simple HARM missiles (anti-radiation radar killers) can reduce the entire system to scrap metal.

How do I know this? Well, Mr. Iranian General with that silly Disney-design Goofy hat, that's what I did in the United States Marine Corps for eight years. I've worked on, maintained, calibrated and fine-tuned just about every piece of gear on display for your Regime Media Dog & Pony Show. Well, except my gear was better and more advanced.

We, of course, sold it to them. Before the revolution in 1979, when the Shah was an ally. It's a Raytheon system.

Dear Mr. Iranian General with that silly Disney-design Goofy hat,

You know the HAWK missile system doesn't detect stealth. I'd tell you how I know this but a.) I'd have to kill you and b.) you already know anyway. You also know that Phase I HAWK is easily jammed and quite easily killed as soon as you turn the English-labeled power switches to "ON". Yeah, that was kinda my own fear, too, fella. HARM sucks because HARM works. Too bad you got all uppity and killed the Shah. You'd surely have Phase II toys with TAS or even Phase III with simultaneous multi-target engagement and even rudimentary anti-missile capabilities.

But no. You had to go all jihad and stuff. Now look at you. Look at your creaking old gear. You should stick to terrorism showcase media events. That you're pretty good at.